Microsoft is not done adding more strange things to its operating system. Following the not-so-great reception of new ads in the Start menu in one of the recent beta versions, Microsoft is bringing even more ads, which besides being A little Annoying, comes at the cost of existing features. In build 22635.3500, the logout button is now hidden behind a menu with a Microsoft 365 ad.
Microsoft calls the new thing “Account Manager”. In a nutshell, it’s an exit with your existing subscriptions, an upsell of Microsoft 365, and some account-related notifications, like a prompt to add a backup phone number or enable OneDrive backups. There is also now a link to your Microsoft account settings.
You know what’s not there? The button exit and change user. Logging out of your profile requires opening a submenu hidden behind a three-dot button. Apparently, Microsoft thinks that showing the expiration date of your Xbox Game Pass subscription and the amount of storage on OneDrive is more important than a “sign out” button. OK.
This is how Microsoft describes the change:
This update starts launching the new Account Manager in the Start menu. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, the new design gives you a quick view of your account benefits and makes it easier to manage your account settings.
The “Lock” button also has a new home – it’s now in the power menu alongside the “Shutdown”, “Restart” and “Sleep” options.
The new “account manager” offers no apparent value or practicality other than making things less convenient. Subscription data and account notifications are already available on the home page of the Settings app, along with various recommendations, Copilot ads, and more.
And yes, build 22635.3500 has a new banner for this section as well – there’s now a Game Pass “recommendation” politely asking you to sign up. But if you’re already a member of Game Pass, it will offer you some games from the catalog. Because “discovering your next favorite game” is what people want when they open the Definitions application.